


Emergent

by amymagnolia



Category: Divergent Series - Veronica Roth
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-22
Updated: 2014-05-30
Packaged: 2018-01-26 03:25:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1672913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amymagnolia/pseuds/amymagnolia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An alternative third book in the Divergent trilogy. It picks up immediately after "Insurgent" and features characters Ms. Roth left alive from the first two books as well as a few original ones.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tris and Tobias are separated in the chaos that follows the Amanda Ritter video. Evelyn tightens her grip on the city's inhabitants.

**TRIS**

I jolt awake in utter blackness, panic rising in my throat when I can't remember where I am. There is no sound save for the rushing of blood in my ears, pulsing in time with my racing heartbeat. I remain frozen while trying to decide a course of action. Gradually the roaring subsides and is replaced by small sounds of my sleeping companions: quiet breathing, the rustle of someone rearranging themselves in a makeshift bed on the floor. The air is close and musty, smells like no one has stirred it in decades. And probably no one has. I am acutely aware of the rough textured blanket wrapped around me and the chill where it has slipped off my shoulder.

 "Tobias?" I whisper into the dark. There is no response. Slowly the events of yesterday seep into my numbed brain. The attack on Erudite headquarters by Dauntless and Factionless allied under the leadership of Tobias' mother, Evelyn. The betrayal by Factionless foot soldiers tricking their Dauntless partners into relinquishing their guns. Tobias' final act of trust in spite of finding me working with the father he despises: revealing the video of Edith Prior, one of the founders of our city and apparently an ancestor of mine.

 The memory becomes painful when I reach the part where I fled with a small group of comrades, reluctantly leaving Christina behind so the doctors could treat the gunshot wound in her leg. It becomes unbearable when I recall the look in Tobias' eyes when I tried to pull him toward the exit with me. It was veiled, impossible to read. The lobby of Erudite headquarters was no place for a conversation with hundreds of people milling about, many with weapons and many others injured. The noise was deafening and anyone who stood still for long risked being crushed or trampled as some in the crowd attempted to retreat up the stairways and others, out the exits, with armed Factionless trying to gain control.

 The chaos was only heightened when someone lit the shredded remains of Jeanine Matthews' portrait on fire. In the midst of this I reached for Tobias' hand only to have him slip free of my grasp. Still, I would never have left him except for the fact that he pushed me toward a group of loyal dauntless who were making a fast retreat.  "Go with them," is all he said.

 I will not cry. I will not. I know Tobias is angry because I trusted Marcus about the secret information. I kept that from him and lied to him about not participating in the attack. And even though he played the video and told me I was right, he isn't here with me now. I bite my fist and squeeze my eyes shut, willing the tears away.

**\+ + +**

 A few rays of sunlight filter into the windowless room from the hallway. Zeke is rousting everyone from their pallets.

"Listen up!" he barks. "We have seven people and one gun. Obviously that isn't going to cut it." He levels his gaze at each of us in turn. Cara has come with us, along with Uriah, Lauren and two young men I don’t know, one older than Zeke, with darker skin, the other skinny and pale with dark hair, and closer to my age.

"My Factionless partner tricked me into letting her take my gun," says the tattooed younger man.

"Tony, that's another reason Amar said to always have a backup weapon. If not a gun, at least a knife.” Zeke raises an eyebrow at me as he produces a small pistol from the waistband of his black jeans. " I always bring Kelsey along, no matter what other weapons I'm carrying."

"Your gun is named after your ex-girlfriend?" Uriah chokes back a laugh. "Just wait until I tell Shauna."

"Oh you wouldn't dare," Zeke retorts with a devilish grin. But he is immediately serious again as he lays out our situation.

"We have to get back to Dauntless, retrieve some weapons from one of the storage rooms along with other gear we'll need for living on the run. Bryce here," he indicates the older man I don't know, "learned how to drive in Amity. If we can find a working car, he can get it running."

"What is an Amity doing with a bunch of fugitive Dauntless?" Cara demands. In spite of her torn clothing and dirty hair, she looks as self possessed as always.

"What's an Erudite doing with them," Bryce shoots back, equal parts amused and defensive.

"Just because my faction was run by a power hungry woman who liked killing people doesn't mean we're all like that," she snaps.  "I happen to agree with my friends here," indicating us with a sweep of her arm, "that our city needs a change of leadership, one that doesn't involve trading one dictator for another. Since when do the Amity get involved in conflicts?"

"I guess I'm not really Amity anymore. I left with Johanna to serve as a peacekeeper." Bryce sighs heavily. "I do have some familiarity with fighting, being raised in Dauntless-"

I find my voice. "You transferred from Dauntless to Amity?" It never occurred to me that anyone would want to escape the faction I chose. The dauntless kids at school always seemed so boisterous and full of themselves. Maybe I just didn't notice the quiet ones.

Bryce meets my eyes, "My dad died when I was 6, in an accident involving a train. My mother was shot by a Factionless man two years later while on patrol. The family that took me in was nice enough, but after that the flagrant risk taking that's so common in Dauntless just never appealed much to me." He shrugs. "I've been happy in Amity, but I couldn't stand by while even more people get killed, not when I might be able to help prevent it."

For once Cara seems not to know what to say.

"Well, that takes care of introductions," says Lauren.

Zeke picks up again, “We need to plot a route back to the Pire, circling around so we aren't coming from the direction of Erudite headquarters."

Lauren adds, "then I guess riding the trains is out?'

"Definitely," he confirms. "They'll be watching those, for sure."

"What about our friends who are still at Erudite?" I ask. "Tobias, Christina, all the loyal Dauntless?" I don't mention Caleb. Until I sort out my feelings about my brother, a cell is a good enough place for him. "We're not going to just leave them to Evelyn and her henchmen, are we?"

"I hope you know me better than that, Tris. Our first concern is making sure we don't join them in Evelyn's custody. Then we can work out a way to free them."  Then, to his brother, “Uriah, would you grab us something for breakfast before we go?” 

Uriah disappears into an adjacent room. I wonder where he will find breakfast. It's not like there are coffee shops out in the city.

Cara speaks up again, "What is this place, and how did you know about it? Are we safe here?"

"No," says Zeke, "we aren't. This is one of several buildings where the Dauntless patrols maintained a small emergency cache in case they ran into trouble out in the city."  

I ask, "Emergency cache? What kind of stuff is here?"

"Just these blankets, a first aid kit, some canned food and bottled water," says Lauren.

"But no guns?" asks Bryce.

"No," says Zeke with a frown. "It would be way too risky to leave weapons stashed where just anyone might stumble on them."

"I never knew about this place, or the others," says Tony.

Zeke answers, "The leaders thought it best to limit the number of people who knew. You weren't ever on a city patrol, were you?"

"No, I worked the fence," Tony replies. He must not have been near the top of his initiate class.

"Unfortunately," Zeke continues, "some of those people are now in Erudite headquarters, both traitor and loyal Dauntless. We can't remain here."

Uriah returns with two cans of beef pot roast and one of baked beans. Not exactly my idea of breakfast, but I’m in no position to be choosy. We eat them Factionless style, passing the cans around with everyone taking turns eating with the same spoons. Then it’s time to put back the blankets we used and strike out into the streets.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stuck at Erudite headquarters and expected to help his mother with implementing her new regime, Tobias is conflicted.

**TOBIAS**

Christina is in pretty good spirits for someone who has been shot and is under armed guard in the hospital. She shares a large ward with more than a dozen other Dauntless and Erudite patients under the shifty eyes of five armed Factionless. Tori glares at them from a bed at the far end of the room. When I try to catch her eye, she looks away.

"The bullet passed through my leg cleanly," Christina says. Her eyes are emphatic and her hands are never still as she talks. "It didn't hit the bone or leave any fragments, so now that the wounds are cleaned and bandaged I should be good to go any time they-" she jerks her head toward the guards, "-will let me out of here."

"I'm not sure when that will be," I answer. I hate being uninformed and powerless.

"Where is Tris?" she asks, her eyebrows knitting together. "I haven't seen her."

"I don't know," I admit, "but not here. She left last night with Zeke and a few others."

"You're mad at her."

"Am not," I retort. "She's free to make her own decisions." I realize I'm scowling.

Christina rolls her eyes. "Yeah, because you were totally thrilled to find her here, on our own mission-"

I cut her off. "Hey, Candor, I'm here talking to you, aren't I?" 

The Erudite nurse walks through the doorway from the hall, heading toward us.

"Alright, alright," she concedes. Then, leaning closer, "just please, get me out of here if you can. I'm no use to anyone while I'm stuck in this room."

"I can't promise anything, but I will do my best," I say.  

**\+ + +**

Evelyn has decreed that people must pack up their belongings and be prepared to move into living quarters she will assign. The Abnegation sector, Erudite building and Candor headquarters will be home to members of all the factions as well as factionless, and everyone will be required to wear clothing of multiple colors. People wander around or gather in small huddles, as factionless guards escort them in groups to accomplish these tasks.

I hardly notice them as I shoulder my way through a corridor under the blue, glowing lights. Why did Tris trust my father and come here yesterday? Why didn't she tell me first? I hate that we keep lying to each other, but a small part of me knows I wouldn't have listened if she'd tried to convince me. When she shared her distrust of Evelyn it only led to a fight. I hate how little Tris values her own life, she said she was too selfish for Abnegation yet keeps rushing into danger. I hope she stays with Zeke and goes along with whatever his plan is.

I'm deep in my own head, trying to sort out my anger at Tris and my relief that she got out safely when I almost run into Peter. He wears all black with a black armband bearing the factionless symbol, an empty circle. Why must he always end up wherever I am? When I wonder out loud about his presence, I don't expect an answer.

"Just trying to bet on the winning side, as always," he says, grinning.

"You don't care who the leaders are or what they do," I comment.

With a puzzled frown he says, "Why would I? As long as I'm fed, safe and can get laid once in a while, what difference does it make?"

"You disgust me," I tell him.

Peter merely shrugs as he strides away from me. "Like I care what you think."

What a piece of work that guy is. But I don't have brain power to waste on him as I continue toward the elevator that will take me to Jeanine's apartment.

 

It's my mother's apartment now. She has taken herself from a life of starving in abandoned buildings to controlling the city's inhabitants from a lavish penthouse atop Erudite headquarters. I expect to find her reveling in her victory.

Instead, once the guard in the hallway has satisfied himself that I am who I say, I open the door to see her sitting in front of a large table scattered with papers, a tired and strained expression on her face.

"Tobias," she says with a smile that doesn't quite erase the worry lines on her forehead. "What took you so long? I wanted to talk with you before the others join us." She stands to hug me, which I tolerate but cannot bring myself to return.

"I had to check on the Dauntless you locked up," I say darkly. "Was that really necessary? Christina and Tori are injured, and Harrison has done nothing but cooperate with you."

"Your girlfriend's friend," she sneers, "was working against us - with Marcus." She spits out his name as if it tastes foul. "And Harrison and Tori are leaders, which makes them dangerous." She laughs, harsh and mirthless. "Former leaders, actually, since Dauntless no longer exists."

 

I drag my sweaty palms across my jeans and swallow my anger with effort. Now is not the time to pick a fight.

"What about me? Am I not a dangerous _former_ leader too?" I ask.

"You are my son," she replies, as if that is enough explanation. When I raise an eyebrow and don't respond, she adds, "besides, the members of your former faction might take more easily to my changes if they feel they have one of their own in the new regime."

I feel slightly nauseous. Evelyn wants me to be complicit in the dismantling of what remains of our society.

"What do you have in mind?" I ask her.

 

As she opens her mouth, the door swings open and Edward saunters in, followed by Therese. She eyes me skeptically, which is much nicer than the look Edward gives me, glaring with his one eye while the red one painted on his eyepatch stares straight ahead.

He turns to Evelyn. "You didn't lock him up with the others?"

"No," she snaps. "Tobias has worked with us on this process and will continue to do so." Her eyes cut a brief, sideways glance at me. I don't contradict her, though I'm far from certain of anything.

Evelyn nods toward a couple of chairs to the side of her desk. "Take a seat," this is to Therese and Edward. To me she says, "Tobias, please stay for now."

For now. So she doesn't intend to let me in on everything she is doing.

"Our first priority," my mother begins, "is housing the people in more appropriate quarters." Her lip curls around the word _appropriate_. "Those who haven't given us any trouble will be placed in the Abnegation sector and the former Candor headquarters," Evelyn says airily. "Those who we need to watch more closely will live here, in either the apartments or the dorms. Former leaders and insurgents will remain in the detention center."  

Evelyn turns to Therese, "You will be in charge of assigning families and individuals to their new quarters. Feel free to give the best apartments to our factionless comrades."

Therese nods.

"Edward," Evelyn continues, "I will need your skills to... relieve the former factions of their various serums. We can't have anyone getting hold of those to use them against us."

I cut in, "And what are your plans for those serums? Is that how you will control the people?" 

"Of course not," my mother retorts, annoyed. "They will be brought here and destroyed under my supervision."

"So how will you get people to cooperate?" I wonder aloud.

"At first, with armed patrols loyal to me," she says carefully. "And by regulating the food supply."

"That certainly worked with the factionless," I comment drily. Edward shifts forward in his chair, ready to pounce. Evelyn stays him with a small motion of her hand.

"These people will soon realize they are better off without the tyranny of the factions!" Her voice is emphatic, her eyes hard. "They will thank me for liberating them." 

I doubt that anyone will feel liberated under Evelyn's new system. I keep my expression neutral as I ask, "So, what is it you want from me?"

"You, son, are my eyes and ears among your former faction. Find out who the malcontents are, the ones who may be planning to stir up trouble. Try to get close to them. Report to me any suspicions you have about their... ah... cooperation." 

A spy. She wants me to be a spy.  _Faction before blood._  The phrase flashes through my mind unbidden. I struggle to maintain my composure. 

"They aren't known for being a particularly chatty bunch, but I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you, Tobias." The note of finality in her voice makes it clear that my part of this meeting is over.

Outside the door I try to linger, wondering what she doesn't see fit to share with me. But the guard inclines his head toward the elevator doors and I have no choice but to appear unconcerned as I board it.

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tris and a few allies make their way through the city. What will they find back at Dauntless?

**TRIS**

The only people we see as we make our way through the deserted streets are several Factionless patrols. With each encounter we duck behind a building or into an alley to avoid being seen. One time my breath catches in my throat when I think we've been spotted, but no one pursues us. The air is humid and close, buzzing with flies from the marsh.

It's a long way from our secret refuge back to Dauntless, especially since we can't take the most direct route. The few abandoned cars we find must be out of gas or broken down because Bryce isn't able to get any of them started. So on we trudge.

I hated leaving Christina behind, though the logical part of my mind reminds me she could not have kept up as we fled last night. The medical people there have surely cared for her wound. Maybe she'll be able to find her family and be some help to them.

 

The crumbling sidewalk grinds under my combat boots. Every step takes me farther from Tobias. Our brief reunion just before the video played feels like a dream. The look in his eyes was hard and closed off when he pushed me away. I have no idea what he's doing now; I can only hope he's not locked in a cell.

 

Once the Pire comes into view we take a defensive formation. We may have only one weapon among us but we are still Dauntless. The street is eerily quiet and still, the air fairly vibrating with tension.

"Wait here," says Zeke when we are half a block away. "I'm going to shut off the main power."

We crouch nervously between two empty buildings while he makes his careful way around a corner. No gunfire. No sound at all. Soon he returns looking more relaxed. "It's completely deserted," he reports.

"Why did you kill the power?" asks Tony. His dark hair clings to the sweat on his  forehead. I guess we all have that in common.

Lauren says, "It disabled all the security cameras, didn't it? They need power to run."

"Right," says Zeke, then shrugs, "along with the lights. We have to assume Evelyn's people are monitoring the city from Erudite. They'll probably send a patrol to check out the power failure, but we'll be ready for them."

 

I'm pretty sure Tobias keeps a flashlight in his apartment, but I don't know if I can find my way there in total darkness. It turns out that I don't have to. Uriah volunteers to retrieve a lantern from the apartment he shares with Zeke. After he returns we visit the nearest supply locker, taking sleeping bags, backpacks, two more lanterns and other necessities. The armory provides weapons and ammunition. Lauren insists I take a small pistol, though I doubt I'll be able to use it. I stuff it into my new backpack along with a couple of knives.

"Won't someone come looking for all these guns?" asks Cara. "I mean, since the Factionless took the others?"

"I expect so," Zeke affirms. "Hopefully they'll be loyal Dauntless who can give us news about what Evelyn's doing. If not..." he doesn't bother to finish that thought.

Zeke and Lauren decide we will camp in the Pit for tonight, where the constant flow of fresh air will carry away the fumes from the lanterns, and there are no windows to show their light to the night outside. As much as I'd rather sleep in Tobias' apartment, wrapped in his blue quilt, I agree with them. We set up on a wide section of one of the high walkways that isn't readily visible from below. The cool, musty underground air smells like home in spite of the stillness. I’ve never see the Pit without a throng of Dauntless teeming around it.

I join Uriah, Cara and Tony in raiding the kitchen for dinner and some non-perishable foods that we can take with us later. It seems like a long time has passed since we were here, at home, but the cake in one of the walk-in refrigerators is still fresh. Fortunately there are backup generators keeping these and the large freezer running.

 

Soon we're kicked back in our temporary camp, eating leftover barbecue and cake while Zeke entertains us with an embarrassing story from Uriah's childhood. I'm not sure what catches my attention but Zeke notices it too, he stops abruptly with his mouth open. "Defensive positions," he whispers through his teeth.

Peering over the ledge from behind a railing I see motion in the deep shadows below. Then a voice: "Hello? Is anyone here? I'm from Amity, I bring a message of friendship."

His voice echos briefly and is quickly lost in the dull roar of the river.

"Amity?" Bryce whispers. "I wish I could see who it is."

There is no point in dousing our lanterns now. He's seen the glow already. After a few tense minutes, the voice comes again. "My name is Angus Bennett, and I have news about Johanna and the peacekeepers."

This guy is either very brave or not too bright, strolling into the Pit alone and announcing himself like that. Of course an Amity would be unarmed.

"I thought he sounded familiar," Bryce says very low.

"Can we trust him?" asks Cara.

"Definitely. I've known him for years. We used to work together in the dairy barn."

"Call out to him," says Zeke. "Tell him to step out onto the bridge over the chasm."

Bryce identifies himself, relaying the command, and the shape below moves onto the span above the churning water.

"I'll go talk to him," Bryce volunteers.

"Tris," says Lauren, "will you go too?"

Does she expect me to be his bodyguard, to use the gun if needed?

As if she sees the question in my eyes, she adds, "We'll cover you from up here. It would be more diplomatic if you don't show your weapon."

"Right," I say, trying to keep the relief out of my voice. I take a deep breath and let it out. "Let's do this."

I lead the way down the steep paths and stairways of the Pit. It seems like an eternity of feeling our way in the near darkness before we reach the main level. I pause to catch my breath, barely able to make out Angus' form on the bridge.

And then the two Amity do what comes naturally to them. They step toward each other, hands outstretched, palms open to greet a friend, each trusting in the goodwill of the other.

When Angus confirms that he's come alone, we call the others down from the ledge and hold a meeting with the lamplight casting skulking shadows on the rock walls of the Pit. I can see our visitor better now, a tall, broad man with thick, wavy red hair and eyebrows to match. Johanna has returned to Amity, Angus tells us, along with most of the peacekeeping volunteers. A few were killed and some are missing. Johanna is looking for allies. She has an idea for a new kind of government in which everyone is equal and leaders are elected for limited terms of service.

"Evelyn will not just give up the power she worked so hard to steal" Cara observes.

"Naturally," Angus agrees, frowning.

Zeke says grimly, "There will be fighting. Surely the Amity won't go along with that?"  

"No, they won't," says Angus. "They are nervous about harboring us now. The community is divided about it, and the Amity are uncomfortable with such disagreement."

We sit in silence for a few moments, looking at the other faces in the warm light.

"What if we stay here," suggests Lauren, slowly. "If Johanna's group came here and we could get word to the loyal Dauntless to join us, we could hold the Pit and the Pire. They are certainly defensible."

I agree with her in theory, but am not sure about a bunch of peacekeepers. "The Amity aren't trained to fight," I say. “What use would they be to us?”

Bryce looks down at his hands in his lap.

"We can teach them the basics," says Zeke, warming to Lauren's idea. "If we can get the Dauntless to return home, give the peacekeepers a crash course in shooting and hand-to-hand combat-"

"-it could work," Uriah finishes his brother's sentence.

"Angus," says Zeke, "do you think Johanna would come here?"

He considers briefly before answering. "Yes, yes I do. She is no lover of fighting, but she's pragmatic and determined. I believe she would bring the peacekeepers here, those who choose to come, anyway. As far as training to fight, that I cannot answer. It is something each person must turn over in his own heart to determine."

"Well, that will have to be good enough," says Zeke. "You are welcome to stay the night here with us before returning home."

"Thank you," says Angus in a sincere voice, "but I feel safer moving at night. I don't want to be caught by armed Factionless out there."

Tony has been so quiet I had forgotten he was here. Now he says, "I can go with you."

"That's a good idea," says Zeke. "It's definitely safer for two people than one, and Tony is a good shot."

Angus appears relieved. "Your company would be most welcome," he says to Tony. To Zeke he adds, "Thank you for your kind invitation. I will relay it to Johanna. If she accepts, we should be back in a few days with whatever food and supplies we can offer."

  
As soon as Tony has retrieved his backpack from the ledge, he and Angus set off in the dark, bound for Amity. The rest of us return to our perch to finish dinner and settle in for the night.

 

**\+ + +**

 

“Do you think they’ll come here?” Uriah wonders out loud.

“I doubt it,” says Lauren. “The Amity value nonviolence. They’ve always kept some distance between their faction and ours. I can’t really see them allying with us for yet another rebellion.”

“That may be true of my faction in general, but Johanna isn’t technically Amity anymore,” Bryce reminds her. “When she stepped down as our representative, she told us she was willing to leave her faction so she could act as her conscience dictated.”

“Of course, her conscience was telling her to stop the fighting, not start more of it,” I add. “We won’t really know what she has in mind until we can talk with her about it.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Uriah admits.

“What do you guys think is out there?” I ask. “Outside the fence? I wonder if anyone from Amity knows.”

“Not that I’m aware of,” offers Bryce.

Uriah says, “If I lived outside the fence, I would go explore, find out what’s beyond the fields.”

Zeke laughs. “Then you wouldn’t be a very good Amity, would you?”

“Are you implying I’m not peaceful?” jokes Uriah.

“You’re not even peaceful when you sleep,” says Zeke, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “Your snoring sounds like a fully loaded train!”

Uriah punches him in the arm. “But seriously, don’t people get curious? I mean if the fence is supposed to protect us, you’d think it would be scary living outside it. Wouldn't you want to know if there are other people anywhere nearby?”

“I guess you might think so,” Bryce says, “but it is so beautiful out there, with the fields and the trees. The air smells like green leaves and rich soil, much better than in the city.” He wrinkles his nose. “No one from outside has ever come to us, and we’ve never been particularly curious. We just live our lives.”

"I think a regular diet of bread laced with peace serum could lead to a certain lack of initiative," I say. A wounded look crosses Bryce's face, then he quickly replaces it with a gentle smile.

"Ha!" says Lauren. "You sound like your Candor friend... what's her name again?"

"It's Christina. I'm just saying, about the serum, I was given a dose of it after... er, having a small confrontation at Amity. I was totally loopy for hours."

Zeke chuckles. "The way I heard it, you were beating the crap out of Peter Hayes and had to be pulled off him."

"Well, I had a good reason," I mumble.

"The peace serum is quite mild in small doses," says Bryce. "It's true that trace amounts are baked into the bread, but that isn't nearly as much as they give in the conflict room. Even then, people don't usually react so dramatically. They must have miscalculated your dose."

"That's what Johanna said," I tell him.

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tobias leaves the Erudite building.

TOBIAS

The Dauntless who are stuck at Erudite are restless. Many, including Christina, have been released from the hospital and are waiting to make the well-supervised trip back to the Pit for their belongings. It seems ours is the last faction in line for this process, maybe because Dauntless is the farthest away from Erudite, or maybe for no reason at all. In the meantime, those who are here mill around, sharing space with members of the other factions while not truly mixing with them. The population of the city looks strange dressed in randomly mixed colors. It's not much of a challenge to identify the factions people still cling to. Erudite in their glasses, with precisely styled hair and careful diction, Candor with loud voices and faces that never leave me wondering how they feel, a few Amity peacekeepers, tanned and freckled and looking lost with no animals or plants to care for. The Dauntless, of course, are tattooed, pierced and many wear their hair in striking cuts or colors. Their usual bravado is subdued, but they are still alert, tuned in to the surroundings. It's difficult to talk with them for long though, because the Factionless can recognize them almost as readily as I can. The armed guards break up conversations that last more than a few minutes.

No one has seen Marcus or knows where he is. The bastard must have slipped away into the night as the video played. Where he is now is anyone's guess.

I don't exactly remember making the decision to leave, but lying awake in the stillness of this second night, I can't stay. No one in the room moves as I tiptoe around their silent forms, out into the darkened corridor. I sneak down a small stairwell, past one sleeping guard, and then I'm disappearing into the darkness. I've learned of several Dauntless members who have ideas for rebellion against Evelyn's new order, and I have not passed this information along to her. What will her reaction be when she discovers I'm gone? I might return before she notices my absence, but I also might not.

A mile or so from Erudite I take the risk of jumping on a train. I'm tense, ready to jump off immediately if the car is occupied. But I have the train to myself. I'm a little surprised the trains are still running, since operating them is a factionless job, or was before my mother took over the city. But the control system is automated, so maybe the trains continue on their regular routes with or without anyone's intervention.  I sit against one wall of the car, my knees drawn up so I can rest my head on them. The rhythm of the wheels relaxes me and I realize how exhausted I am. I didn't really sleep last night either, just lay in my blanket on the floor of a room with twenty or so strangers. Though it's a warm night, I miss Tris’ small body pressed up against mine as the train sways on the rails. Did she have better accommodations than I did last night? I doubt it.  

 She didn't know what information she was seeking on Jeanine's computer, I remind myself. The Amanda Ritter video was as much a shock to her as to everyone else. What does the message in the video mean to all of us? Our society was founded on purpose, that much is clear. There are people living somewhere outside the fence, or were back then. They may be a danger to us if they know we're in here. They may be brutal and violent, as the images from the video depicted. Amanda, or Edith as she would have been called, said we're supposed to help them. But how, and why? Who knows if we could help them, even if we chose to try.

I shake my head, as if to clear my muddled thoughts. But my mind won't leave it alone. I have wondered for a long time what lies beyond Amity's fields. I've made a point since starting my job in the control room of always knowing the current codes to unlock the gate. Maybe it's a result of my childhood that I always want to have a way out. Of course, a way out would mean leaving everything I've ever known. In my deepest part, where I admit it only to myself, I want to know what's out there. No, I need to know.

The tracks leading back to Dauntless are familiar. With landmarks nearly invisible in the dim moonlight, I feel when the train nears our platform. It's the one we normally use, closer to ground level than the raised track where new initiates jump to the roof. Leaping off the train in the dark is a routine motion I've done hundreds of times. Tonight the platform is deserted. The dew has begun to settle on the weeds growing from the cracked pavement, it must be well past midnight. The vacant lots nearby hum with cicadas. Darkness covers the brick facade. Slipping in a side door, I find only vague outlines of the Pit are visible in the moonlight filtering through the glass floor of the Pire.

It’s eerily silent. At any hour you can normally find people drinking, socializing, fighting, getting tattoos or just hanging around. But not this night. The Dauntless are gone. My faction is scattered between the Merciless Mart and Erudite, where the traitors are prisoners and the loyal Dauntless might as well be.

Getting my bearings, I decide my apartment is the best place to go; I’ll raid the armory in the morning. The door is unlocked, just as I left it. After fumbling briefly in a kitchen drawer, my thumb finds the switch and the flashlight illuminates the kitchen. On my way to the bathroom I’m jolted by the sight of a body in my bed, slight and topped with pale hair. Relief washes through me. She is safe. Removing only my boots, I ease under the quilt, cautious of waking her. Her quiet breathing welcomes me home. My hand finds her waist and I finally relax.

 

 


End file.
